Lahat ng Kabanata ng MIDWINTER MATE: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 36

KOLValeria Cruz allowed Kol to nearly pulverize her knuckles while the medical professional applied the translucent, chilled conductive gel across his lower abdomen. “Wow, that’s actually warmer than I anticipated,” Kol murmured, a nervous tremor in his voice.“We strive to keep the experience as pleasant as possible,” the nurse replied with a practiced, gentle bedside manner. “Alright, you’re going to feel a bit of firm pressure now.” She positioned the ultrasound transducer against his skin, sliding the device with rhythmic, sweeping motions as she searched for a clear image on the dark monitor.Valeria was visibly wincing, and Kol realized he had her hand trapped in a desperate, white-knuckled vice. He relaxed his grip an inch, and she mouthed a silent ‘Thank you’ toward him. He offered a small, apologetic smile in return. He felt a profound surge of gratitude that she had agreed to accompany him to the Austin Memorial Hospital for this. The thought of facing the cold reality of t

DIEGOIt had been an agonizing ten days since the last time Diego had heard Kol’s voice—not that he was meticulously tracking the hours. Except, in reality, he was doing exactly that, and the rest of the team was starting to pick up on his fraying edges. Even Isabella had transitioned from her usual mockery to a strange, unsettling brand of pity, which only served to sharpen the blade of his guilt."Snap out of it, Diego," she said, leaning against the doorframe of the Alvarez Residence as he packed his gear for the afternoon skate. "Statistically, you were bound to father an heir eventually. Honestly, I couldn't have scripted a more dramatic twist if I’d tried." Diego shot her a look of pure exhaustion, but she simply tossed her hair and continued. "There is no more efficient way to sabotage a man’s trajectory than with a surprise pup," she added with a careless shrug.Diego shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping him as he rubbed his palms over his face, trying to clear the mental fog

KOLThe tremors in Kol’s hands were so intense that he nearly fumbled his phone while punching in his mother’s number. Valeria offered him a supportive, silent thumbs-up from the hallway as he retreated into the sanctuary of his bedroom, and he managed a fragile, grateful smile in return. His pulse was a frantic rhythm in his ears as the line rang repeatedly. He knew his mother should be awake; as a veteran night-shift nurse at Austin Memorial Hospital, she typically began her day around four in the afternoon to prep for a seven o'clock shift. It was currently five-thirty.He rested his palm instinctively over his lower abdomen, reclining against the headboard as the ringing continued. Just as he was certain the call would drop to voicemail, she answered. “Hello, sweetheart,” Daniela Reyes said, her voice warm and melodic. The familiar sound acted like a balm, sending a wave of relief through his chest. He realized, with a pang of guilt, that he didn't check in with home nearly enough